Couch foe eailroad-caes



2 SheetsSheet 1.

MYERS & FURNISS.

Car Seat and Couch.

Patented Sept. 7, 1858'.

L THO. CO. PLY. (OSBORNE'S PROCE SS.)

2 SheetsShee 2.

MYERS & FURNISS.

Car Seat and Couch.

Patented Sept. 7, 1858 AMJHOTOLITHO. 00. N.'(. (OSBDRNE'S PROCESS.)

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@ ATES PATENT OFFICE.

F. R. MYERS AND F. H. FURNISS, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

COUCH FOR RAILROAD-CARS.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, F. R. MYEns and F. H. FURNISS, of Cleveland, in the county of Ouyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Railroad-Oar Seats and Couches for Sleeping; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full and complete description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective view of the inte rior section of a car showing two seats arranged for ordinary day use. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a section of the interior of a car arranged for a couch or night car, and Fig. 3 is a perspective of the same, with one end of the couch elevated and supported by springs.

Our invention relates to an arrangement of means for providing such number of couches as, in connection with such as may be made of the car seats, will accommodate a complement of passengers.

Like letters refer to like parts in the different views.

The frame of the seat A, is made in the usual form, and secured to the floor of the car. The back of the seat B, is secured to the frame of the seat, by an arm at each end of the seat back, so that the back can be turned in either direction, as in the usual manner: this arm G, seen also in section, Fig. 4, works upon a. pin in the center of the upper portion of the frame, as seen at C. At the point of attachment of the arms at C to the frame of the seat, the arms O are provided with a cross slot, into which a pin, at C is inserted. By this means we are enabled to separate the backs of the seat a sufiicient distance to form a sleeping couch, as seen at D, Fig. 2. For ordinary day cars, the backs of the seats may all be turned one way, in which case the pin at O occupiesthe upper section of the cross slot. This gives the back of the seat, a natural position.

The cushions are formed, by hinging together, two ordinary stretchers, properly upholstered, and so arranged that they will open and shut, like the coverof a book, as seen in Fig. 5, and when opened as seen'in the figure are wide enough to occupy half the space between the backs of the two seats when they are placed as seen in Fig. 2; thus the two double cushions when spread upon the rails E F, which extend from one seat to another, form a couch of suflicient length and breadth for two persons. The plllows,

G, G, when not in use, for the couch, are.

placed in the recess G, G, between the cushions. The cushions, when spread for a couch, as seen in Fig. 2, are supported upon bars or rails E, F, Fig. 6, the same being secured at one end by a pin, as seen at E, F, Fig. 6. When these bars are not in use, they can be folded upon the front of the seat, as seen at E, Fig. 1, and covered by the folded cushion.

In case the rails E, F, are used for forming a couch, its position is horizontal, or rather, parallel to the floor of the car. In many, perhaps in most, cases, passengers may desire to have the head considerably elevated, to avoid inconvenience in descending grades. In order to accomplish this object, instead of using the short rails E, F, as seen in Fig. 6, we use long ones as seen in Figs. 3 and 7, at G, H; these rails have suflicient length to reach over the whole distance between the extreme edges of the two seats to be converted into a couch. These rails are elevated at the head end, by blocks or standards I, J, and surmounted by a coiled spring, to relieve the passenger from the jar and concussion of the car upon the track. Both ends of the long rails Gr, H, can in this manner be supported by springs, and these may be either coiled or elliptical. Either end can be elevated by the blocks I, J, to correspond to the direction of the cars. In this manner, provision is made for the accommodation of half the passenger, provided every seat is occupied: Now, in order to provide couches for the remaining half, we place metallic rods, L M, at the outer edge of every pair of seats, extending from the floor to the roof of the car, and corresponding short rods, N, O, attached to the side of the car, and upon these four rods thus arranged in a rectangular position, we suspend the couch P. This couch consists of a rectangular frame, over which is stretched and secured, strong and upholstered canvas. The front of this couch, when in use, rests upon shoulders L, M, Fig. 2. Attached to the rods L, and M, at a suitable height, the back of the couch, at the same time, rests upon a similar shoulder at the lower end of the rods N, O. The pillows when not in use, as such, are placed in a sack under the seat frame, A.

When the couch P, is not needed for use, it is shoved up, upon the rods L, M, N, O, to the roof of the car, and secured by hooks or otherwise.

The couch P, can be elevated at either end, as may be desired, and supported upon a movable collar, and coiled or elliptical springs, in the same manner as in the lower couch, as shown at R, R, and S, S, in Fig. 3.

When the long railsG, H, and the blocks and springs I, J, are not in use, they can be stowed away, upon the top of the couch P.

The herein described arrangement is susceptible of any variation that circumstances may require, without changing the nature of the invention.

What We claim as our invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,

The couch, P, with the rods, L, M, N, O, and the collars, L, M, or the adjustable collars and springs R, R, S, S, as an arrange ment of means for providing such number of couches as, in connection With such as may be made of the car seats, Will accommodate a complement of passengers, substantially as herein set forth.

F. R. MYERS. F. H. FURNISS.

Witnesses:

C. H. BALLoU, 7. H. BURRIDGE. 

